Green Skills as Human Capital for Sustainable Competitiveness: A Bibliometric Analysis and Research Agenda

Abstract

The global transition toward a sustainable and low-carbon economy has intensified the demand for green skills as a critical component of future workforce development. As governments, industries, and educational institutions increasingly prioritize sustainability, scholarly interest in green skills has expanded rapidly across multiple disciplines. However, the growing body of literature remains fragmented, limiting a comprehensive understanding of its intellectual structure, thematic development, and future research directions. This study aims to systematically map the evolution of green skills and future workforce research through a bibliometric analysis of publications indexed in the Scopus database between 2015 and 2025. A total of 323 peer-reviewed publications were analyzed using Biblioshiny and VOSviewer to examine publication trends, influential sources, intellectual structures, thematic evolution, and emerging research themes. The findings reveal a substantial increase in research output, particularly after 2020, reflecting the growing strategic importance of green skills in sustainability transitions. Keyword co-occurrence analysis identifies five major research clusters related to sustainability competencies, employability, green jobs, vocational education, and Green Human Resource Management. The thematic analysis highlights the emergence of digitalization as a central research theme, indicating an increasing convergence between green and digital competencies within the context of the twin transition. The study contributes to the literature by providing a comprehensive overview of the field, identifying critical research gaps, and proposing an integrated future research agenda linking human capital development, organizational capability, digital transformation, and sustainable workforce competitiveness.